(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — To mark World Sight Day key UN diplomats have joined together with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and Global World Sight Day Partner OneSight for a special sight screening. Following on from a landmark UN Resolution “Vision for Everyone; accelerating action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” earlier this year. UN Friends of Vision co-chair H.E. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations is getting her own sight tested on World Sight Day.
“On World Sight Day, Ireland’s message is that eye health has the power to unlock human potential. We know that poor eye health is both a cause of and effect of inequality for women, children, older people and those with disabilities. We know that giving a child eye glasses can dramatically impact on the quality of education they can access. We know that eye health directly impacts the ability of many to access decent work, and contribute to economic growth.
Ireland is proud to be a Co-Chair of the UN Group of Friends of Vision here in New York along with Antigua and Barbuda and Bangladesh. The Vision for Everyone Resolution was adopted in New York in the UN General Assembly this year with the co-sponsorship of 115 UN Member States. This resolution highlighted that eye health is not only an important discussion in the field of health, but is also highly relevant to achieving gender equality, quality education, zero hunger, and economic growth.” — Ambassador Byrne Nason
“For more than 30 years, OneSight has worked toward creating a world where access to vision care is no longer a barrier to human achievement and potential. The recent adoption of the UN resolution on vision has marked a pivotal moment for the expansion of vision care access globally. We feel very fortunate that the critical importance of clear sight is being recognized on such a large scale.
This week as we celebrate World Sight Day, it’s important for us to highlight the ways that access to vision care enables equity, education, and workforce participation for all. We’re grateful to H.E. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations and UN Friends of Vision co-chair, along with the other co-chairs of the Friends of Vision for their dedication to the expansion of vision care access globally. At OneSight we recognize that the only way we will truly solve the global vision care crisis is through strong partnerships with dedicated vision care supporters all around the world.” — K-T Overbey, President & Executive Director, OneSight